Ted Kennedy Loses 40 Pounds

In a sure-fire sign that he is seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2000, Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy has lost 40 pounds over the last few months. It has become a ritual at least once every six years for the liberal Democrat to lose weight at the start of his re-election campaign. After months of dieting and working out on a treadmill in his D.C. home, Senator Kennedy is down to 225 pounds, according to Roll Call newspaper. "Thin is in," noted a source close to Kennedy. The weight loss should put him in fine shape to seek re-election as well as fight for an increase in the minimum wage and a patient's bill of rights, his top two legislative priorities.